iWonder: July highlights

In July iWonder launches three new films and series looking at how technology, fuelled by good old-fashioned greed and malice, is increasingly threatening financial and social security.

Cryptoqueen: The OneCoin Scam
18 July
In 2014, a new cryptocurrency was unveiled: OneCoin. Hyped as the cryptocurrency for the poor and one that would turn paupers into princes, charismatic founder Ruja Ignatova claimed it would soon become the world’s biggest digital currency. In fact, it was just a giant Ponzi scheme. There was no blockchain, no pay-out system, nothing but the promise of fantastic rates of return. In truth, it only turned Ruja Ignatova into the Cryptoqueen: the host of lavish champagne parties in Frankfurt, Sofia and New York and the owner of two dozen luxury properties around the world. Until she vanished into thin air. How did Ruja Ignatova manage to dupe authorities and clients alike? Who knew what and when? And who are the shady people behind the Cryptoqueen? This four-part series includes rare and exclusive access to close friends and colleagues of Ignatova – the people who knew her best – who tell the unbelievable story from the inside.

Hackers: Identity Theft
25 July
Cyberspace is more insecure than ever as hackers exploit human error and technical vulnerability to hold it to ransom for their personal data. Companies, public bodies, schools and individuals have all become victims of cyber-attacks. In this revealing documentary, victims tell how internet criminals have destroyed their lives. According to U.S. experts, hackers steal an estimated six trillion dollars every year, and the figures are increasing. In 2022, cyberattacks increased by 26% in Europe and 38% worldwide. But while most report focus on the financial damage caused by hackers, the human cost can be devastating. In America, a baby died after hackers jammed a piece of equipment in the hospital. Other victims have committed suicide or left their families out of shame.

Your Face Is Ours: The Dangers of Facial Recognition Software
27 July
Biometric data and facial recognition technology has fast become a part of our everyday lives, granting easy access to the technology at our fingertips. Clearview AI, the New York-based tech company, is looking to take this technology to the next level by identifying and compiling the faces of every human being on the planet. It claims that the database will serve as a force for good, helping to solve crimes and prevent espionage. But its clients include Middle Eastern dictatorships and its links to the far-right and the source of its funding have raised other concerns. Just what kind of risk does this effort pose, and are we already too late to stop it?